Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate and compare the effects of oils on lipid metabolism in obese C57BL/6J fed a high fat diet.

METHODS:

75 male C57BL/6J mice (4-5 weeks old) were used and randomly divided into 5 groups, 15 mice in each group, and were fed a high fat diets with 2% soybean oil, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), peanut oil, olive oil and tea seed oil respectively for 12 weeks. Body weight, body fat, diet intake, blood lipid profiles and enzymes relevant to lipid metabolism in white adipose tissue (WAT) as well as pathologic changes in WAT and livers from all groups were observed and compared.

RESULTS:

At the end of study, the body weight and body fat weight were significantly lower in MCT, peanut oil, olive oil, tea oil groups than in soybean oil group (P < 0.05). The mice in MCT group showed significantly lower TG, TC, LDL-C in serum and lower TG, TC in liver than those in soybean oil group (P < 0.05). The cAMP, PKA, HSL, ATGL in WAT in MCT group showed higher than those in soybean oil group (P < 0.05). There was no fatty infiltration in the livers of mice fed MCT, olive oil and tea oil group, but visible fatty liver in soybean oil and peanut oil group were found.

CONCLUSION:

Compared to soybean oil, MCT, peanut oil, olive oil and tea oil could reduce body weight and body fat weight in obese mice fed a high fat diet, MCT also decreased TG, TC, LDL-C in serum and promote lipid mobilization in WAT. As to improving blood lipids, olive oil and tea oil were less obvious than MCT was, and both oils did not induce significant fatty liver when compared with soybean oil and peanut oil.